DANCE COLLABORATION, STUTTGART, GERMANY, 2014

DESCRIPTION

Janet Echelman collaborated with choreographer Katarzyna Kozielska of the Stuttgart Ballet for the world premiere of the performance “A. Memory,” May 23, 2014.

The delicately hanging sculpture pulsated and swayed in response to the expressive motions of the dancers below. “A. Memory” opened with a dancer connected to the voluminous form, almost as an extension of her body. As the music intensifies, her gestures match it and the sculpture echoes her movements.

This dance collaboration marks a departure in Studio Echelman’s typical commissions, many of which are exterior, public artworks monumental in scale. For the ballet, Echelman was interested in exploring how a sculptural form can compliment and become an integral part of the movements of the human body. The intimate stage environment and close relationship to the physical expressions introduce a new element to Studio Echelman’s oeuvre.

This was Kozielska’s first official choreographed performance for the Stuttgart Ballet, after holding many leading roles and solo roles with the company. Kozielska’s works are characterized by the Stuttgart Ballet as having a “high musicality, and a decidedly classical movement vocabulary which she then subverts with a wry, humorous twist.”